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I’m a sucker for quirky fashion details, which is why I’ve been itching to wear a cute pair of socks with heels. The only problem? I have a drawer full of socks that I’ve collected over the years, but none of them seem to be inspiring me lately. It’s the classic fashion dilemma of having everything, but not the right thing.

I actually first tried the sock with non-gym shoe look back in eighth grade. I had a grade school dance I was going to, and my mom and I went out shopping for an outfit for me to wear. I remember getting a fun pink graphic tee from Abercrombie, a black pleated skirt and a pair of Doc Marten-esque shoes to go with the outfit. My mom suggested I add some fishnet socks that hit just below my knees. I was very hesitant, but she said it would look adorable and very fashion forward, so I went with it (mostly to appease her). When I got all ready for the dance (which was in our grade school cafeteria), my mom had raved about how cute the outfit we put together looked. As someone who had braces, a bad highlight job and zero self-confidence, I was actually feeling pretty good about my “unique” look! Everyone would be in jeans, and I’d be in my fun party look. When one of the mom’s picked me up for the dance, I got in the car and instantly got a lot of stares and questions about what I was wearing. My confidence balloon was instantly deflated, and I couldn’t wait for the night to end. I don’t think anyone meant to be hurtful, but it stung.

It’s kind of funny. When I was growing up, everyone wanted to look and be the same, and if you ever dressed even slightly different than what was “cool” you would get stared at and called weird. Today, it seems like everyone is the exact opposite and what’s to be as different and unique as possible. I wish that mentality would have been more common during my childhood because I spent way too much time and energy trying to look exactly like everyone else! When you get older, you wish you could give your younger self a pep talk and tell them that everything is going to work out just fine.

Fast forward to 2016, and I’m wearing my socks and heels loud and proud! I found this houndstooth pair at a J.Crew in Milwaukee and knew they’d be perfect for my feminine Mary-Jane heels. It’s hard finding the right shoe to wear socks with, but I’d say for me a simple heel is the way to go.

Since I was going for a feminine look, I opted for a bow blouse and houndstooth jacket. I can also tell that we’re getting into the time of year where I start wearing all black and white. Once it gets cold out, my body temperature and fashion choices go into a mourning period. That means mostly black until spring arrives. Hopefully I can break that cycle this year!

I decided to do something social this weekend, which is very unlike me once it starts getting colder (I go into hibernation mode when it’s cold). Miraculously, it’s been so mild here for months, so it’s made me more willing to venture out instead of curl up in bed come Friday night. Not only was the weather enticing, but I was also invited to check out the newly opened Finery Dress Boutique in Over-the-Rhine. Finery is a dress rental boutique that allows you to rent out gorgeous dresses at an affordable price. As someone who attended a ton of weddings this year, I can attest how pricy finding the right dress can be. Renting a dress instead of buying one you may wear once or twice is genius, and their selection was incredible. I look at a lot of clothes, and was impressed at the unique selection Finery offered. Check it out Cincinnati ladies!

Molly, Elise and I decided to grab drinks after visiting Finery, and it was so nice to get together and catch up with my blogging friends.

Since I took a bit of a “blogging break” in October, I have a lot of outfits that haven’t made an appearance yet on my blog. This has been one of my favorite outfits I’ve worn this fall, and it’s definitely because of all the feminine pieces paired together. I actually bought this Banana Republic bow blouse way back in July, but had to wait to wear it until it was more seasonally appropriate. The bow is detachable, which is so nice since this is a perfect layering blouse.

I’ve been a bit brooch obsessed ever since I inherited some of my grandma’s brooches when she passed away a few years ago. I bought some new ones recently, including the sparkly one I’m wearing in today’s post. Brooches are my favorite accessory at the moment. There’s so many ways to utilize them!

Another feminine piece that has quickly become a closet staple is this J.Crew pink and purple houndstooth skirt. I absolutely love the colors and the pattern. It’s a fun take on a classic print. Usually once it starts getting cold I begin to wear more simple black pieces. I have a feeling though that these feminine pieces are going to be on constant rotation this season!

Long time no blog! I feel like 2016 has been one big hiatus for me, but my schedule got crazy again the past few weeks. When my calendar started filling up at the beginning of the year, I already knew October was going to be my busiest month. Well, here we are mid-month, and it’s just as insane as I predicted. Last week was spent in sunny Orlando for a real estate conference. It was about 90% work and 10% fun, but if you’ve ever been to a conference you know it’s 0% downtime to get stuff done. We tacked on an extra day after the conference for lounging, which was much-needed and incredible. Next up on my whirlwind October agenda? The Cutler Real Estate awards banquet in Canton later this week, a weekend trip to Cleveland for Joe’s birthday and then one of my best friend’s weddings that I’m in the following weekend. Just typing all that made the panic set in. Sure, most of it is fun stuff, but all that traveling can wear a girl out!

I’m starting the week with some fresh fall baubles. I recently met up with my friend Tara Lea Smith to see the gorgeous pieces she’s been creating the past year. If you want me to paint a pretty (and sparkly) picture, when I got home I immediately laid all of the necklaces across my bed to start doing some outfit brainstorming. Yes, I have so many new pieces that they took up my entire bed. I’m excited to share them with you over the next few months!

First up is this colorful purple, pink and yellow statement maker. It’s actually been pretty warm here, which is totally cool with me. I decided to keep it warm on top and breezy on the bottom, pairing a fitted grey turtleneck with a pleated leather skirt. I also recently rediscovered these mules that I got back in spring and had totally forgotten about. Score!

It took me about 30 seconds to add this Alice + Olivia dress to my cart on Shopbop. Browsing the new arrivals at Shopbop has become a new (and dangerous) hobby of mine, but I like to think it paid off this time.

I look at a lot of clothes, and after awhile everything starts to look alike. To me, this colorful striped dress broke the mold, and I’m all for splurging on items that don’t look like anything I’ve seen before. Another justification when I go the splurge route is versatility. If I can think of multiple ways I can wear something, the odds of me buying it go way up. With this Alice + Olivia dress I thought of four different outfits instantly, which is nice because my fall and winter dress selection is kind of lacking.

I didn’t get any good close-up shots of these Kenneth Jay Lane earrings, but they were a recent “just because” gift from Joe and I love them! I haven’t gotten any new jewelry in awhile, and these are a nice new addition. For as much jewelry as I own, I really don’t have anything too colorful. These are fun, and the perfect complement to this statement-making dress.

Has anyone else been struggling during this first full week of fall? Not only has my energy level gone way down for some reason, but I’m already cold at all times. The temperature has only dropped like 10-15 degrees, but the heat in my car has been on full blast every day. Even more sad is the fact that my space heater has also been blasted on high when I’ve been at the office. I’m in for a long six months!

Today is the day I’m officially making the switch over to fall fashion. It makes me sad to hang up my summer clothes and saw farewell to the warm weather, but I have to admit I’m excited to take my fall clothes for a spin. If we could keep September weather for the rest of fall then it would be the best of both worlds.

I’ve already been stocking up on some new fall pieces, and one of them is this incredible J.Crew corduroy mini skirt. I have a good amount of corduroy pants, but this is my first skirt in the fabric. Joe (my boyfriend) is obsessed with corduroy, and I think of him every time I see it. I love the length of this skirt because it’s appropriate for work, but short enough that it’s also cute for non-work occasions.

I feel like once a new season starts, it takes awhile to find your style groove. I kept looking at myself in the mirror in this outfit and feeling like something didn’t look right. I felt weirdly uncomfortable, but I think I’m just trying to get adjusted to these heavier clothes.

One of the things I feel like I’m always lacking is shoes. I have a ton of them, but never the “right pair”. I think we’ve all been there. I practically live in my Mary-Jane heels this time of year, but wanted to switch it up (and also I’m really worried I’m going to wear out the soles of my favorite shoes). Block heels are my absolute favorite thing at the moment, because they elongate you while still making you feel stable. I always feel like a baby deer when I’m trying to navigate in high heels, so I hope this block heel trend stays around for awhile.

I saw these Rebecca Minkoff heels and it was like my dream shoe had come to life. They have the Mary-Jane strap and it’s a low block heel. Score. This is my first time wearing them, but so far they’ve proven to be incredibly comfortable!

Happy Thanksgiving week! I am beyond excited that one of my favorite holidays is almost here, and it’s actually the first Thanksgiving I’ll be spending away from home. Yes, this year I’ll be trekking across the Midwest and spending the holiday in St. Louis with my boyfriend and his family. I’m excited because it’s been four long years since I’ve been back to the STL. I visited a good amount in college, but now that Joe lives in Cleveland, he doesn’t get to visit home too much himself. I’m excited for a change of pace, but mostly for mashed potatoes!

I’ve always liked the buffalo plaid pattern, but this is the first piece I’ve actually bought. Even though I always liked the look of it, it also reminded me of a lumberjack’s flannel. There’s nothing wrong with that, but I just didn’t know if it was for me. When I saw this Kensie dress, I knew this is how I’d sport this checkered look. The print can veer casual, but I love how it has a feminine construction. It’s so different, and is appropriate for fall and winter, meaning I can wear this a lot the next few months.

Hopefully you can’t tell, but I was freezing while taking these pictures. When I’m cold (which is often), I lose all control of my body and facial expressions. Even smiling without looking like a serial killer is a struggle if it dips below 40 degrees.

Happy Monday! Has anyone else had the most insane October ever? Seriously, when did this month become one of the busiest of the year? I always thought of October as a quiet, transitional month, but that is anything but the case for me this year. It’s not even that my social life is that busy, but just random life events and work and blogging. It’s a good problem I guess, but I’d also be happy to pump the brakes a bit, too. Yesterday I drove up to Columbus early in the morning to watch Joe run the marathon. He qualified for Boston, which was amazing because that was a huge goal for him! It was great to actually see him finish, because I’m notorious for not seeing him cross the finish line when he races. After that, I raced back home to Cincinnati to do a fun photo shoot with Thread. It was fancy and glamorous, and I cannot wait to see the gorgeous pictures!

When I don’t want to put much thought into my outfit, I stick with black. It’s easy, but looks chic and like I put in thought. This transitional weather has been so weird for me. It’s cold in the morning, but by midday I am sweating my butt off. This outfit was taken on one of those in-between fall days. These Joe’s Jeans waxy pants are like butter on my legs. You can move around so easily in them, but they have a leather-esque look to them. Not joking, they fit and feel like leggings!

How fun are these green and blue earrings? I made them at our Gild Collective craft party! I’ve always loved this color combination, and fell in love with a gorgeous but expensive Dannijo pair of statement earrings a few years ago. This route was much more affordable and adds a personal touch you can’t get anywhere else!

My weekend plans are pretty calm until Sunday arrives. I’m waking up at the crack of dawn Sunday morning and heading to Columbus to watch my boyfriend run the marathon. He’s the one running so I shouldn’t complain about driving, but I am not a morning person, especially on a weekend! It’ll be fun though, and he’s an incredible runner which means I won’t be waiting long. After that, I’m heading right back home to partake in some Thread Cincinnati projects. I’m thinking I should save up my energy today and tomorrow.

Now that it’s sweater season, I’ve had my eye out for some serious statement sweaters. I have a hard time dressing true to my style once it gets cooler. I’m into color, texture and anything else that makes a piece unique. That’s kind of hard in the fall and winter when everything seems to be neutral colors and simple, classic designs. When I stumbled upon this Tory Burch fringe sweater, I got some serious inspiration. This is my dream sweater because it has some personality, but still keeps you warm (which is essential for us perpetually cold girls). Plus, the fringe detailing is tastefully done, so it’s anything but tacky. Might have to look for some affordable, similar options!

I love anything and everything raspberry flavored. This cranberry raspberry punch would be perfect for the holidays, but I thought it sounded too good not to share. Recipe and image via Carl’s Bad Cravings.

Have you checked out the 20 Most Beloved Places on Pinterest? There’s probably some places we all have on our Pinterest boards, but I especially loved this shot of the Amalfi Coast!

Full disclosure: if I look extremely uncomfortable in these pictures, it’s because a super creepy man was blatantly staring at me the entire time I took these. You always get people who look at you, but this guy would actually turn his body and just face me and stare. We tried to hide a little bit, and he would even move to look at me. Talk about disturbing!

I am a complete sucker for feminine details on clothes. If it has a delicate, romantic touch, there’s a good chance I will probably buy it. Case in point: this pleated bell sleeve top from Zara.

I bought it about two years ago, and although I’ve only worn it a handful of times, I melt when I look at the sleeves. My fall style has actually been a huge 180 to my summer style. I love color, but I also love black and white. It seems like once fall hit, the color vanished from my wardrobe and it’s strictly black and white. I’m not mad about it, but it is funny to see how much your taste can change once the weather changes a bit.

One area where my taste doesn’t change? These shoes. I’ve been told by people that I wear these way too often, but I don’t see anything wrong with that! When I find something I love, I wear the heck out of it. My only concern is that I’m going to wear the soles out because there on my feet too much. Luckily, there’s always room for more Mary-Jane’s in my closet!

On another fall-related note, my condo has completely transformed thanks to a Bath & Body Works candle. I’ve always heard the hype surrounding their candles, but never bought any to experience them myself. That all changed over the weekend when I popped into the store and snagged a few essential fall scents for my place. I bought Sweater Weather and Autumn, and my life is forever changed. If I see you in person, I apologize in advance because it’s all I seem to talk about lately. I’m officially a crazy candle lady.

I know I’ve been sad about summer ending, but the one thing making up for it is fall fashion. If we could keep this September weather all season, I’d be a happy girl.

I’m having a lot of fun wearing pieces that are the epitome of fall weather. Case in point: this Banana Republic plaid shirt. I thought it was more of a windowpane print, but the Banana website calls it plaid, so we’ll go with that. This Madewell skirt was a last winter purchase, but it’s proven its worth in my wardrobe year round.

As much as I love color, my fall wardrobe seems to be dominated by neutrals like black, white and grey. Even the pieces I’ve been buying lately have been void of color, but I kind of like all the different combinations you can create with a color-neutral palette. I’ve found myself buying pieces that are pretty basic, but that I kind wear so many different ways. I already have like five other ideas for how to wear this black and white plaid shirt! It’s pretty nice knowing you’re getting your money’s worth out of a purchase.

Some of my other fall staples include these Mary-Jane black heels and this felt hat from Anthropologie. My style is pretty feminine, so I think these accessories help create a cute but fall-appropriate look.